EU Earmarks €40M For Education, Youth Empowerment Programmes In Nigeria
Princess-Ekwi Ajide Abuja
European Union, EU, says it is investing forty million Euros in programmes to support Education and youth empowerment, particularly for girls in Nigeria.
The EU ambassador to Nigeria and the ECOWAS, Ms Samuela Isopi, who stated this during a courtesy call on the Federal Ministry of Education, in Abuja, said the first phase of the programme will be launched in Kano for Northwest Nigeria in two weeks time.
The Education and youth empowerment programme is expected to provide quality education and skills development with particular focus on girls in rural and undeserved areas.
Telling the Minister the objective of her visit, the Ambassador, said the programme will strengthen education planning and policy framework implementation, increase access to safe learning environment and improve teacher and learning quality, particularly for girls, and will provide vocational training and critical life skills for youth including green jobs training.
Ms. Isopi, said one of the reasons for the visit was to establish direct contact with the ministers as human development department which caters for education will continue to support the Federal government in addressing some educational issues in the country especially in areas such as the Northwest where access to education are hindered by man made impediments.
In his response, the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, said intervention in education is critical to the economic development of the country especially at this time, when the present administration prioritises educating the young ones.
He, however, made some observations about some already existing interventions and advised that the ministry is supposed to be included in the committee so it will have first hand information about what is happening.
Both the Minister of State, for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. David Adejo, who had spoken earlier, had indicated interest of the ministry to always partner groups and organisations to bring about changes that will enhance education in the country.
In another development, the Oando foundation led by Adekanla Adegoke, also came calling on the Minister, Professor Tahir Mamman, with promises of what they can do and have been doing in the education sector and the Minister, appreciated the foundation for undertaking such programmes as their social responsibility duty.
